Cosplay on full display at the Anime Expo!

CNN PRODUCER NOTERCNorm caught these cosplayers out to lunch during the Anime Expo in Los Angeles, California on July 5. He says he was surprised at how many people were participating -- and especially to what level they took their costumes. 'What struck me the most was the attention to detail on the costumes and the sense of peace and overall good time that everyone was having,' he says.
- jccarp, CNN iReport producer

The Anime Expo (“AX”) is generally held over 4 days of the 4th of July weekend at the LA Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles and is the largest anime convention in North America. During AX, there are all types of activities for attendees to enjoy, guest panels, table top gaming, competitions, an arcade, and various concerts. However, most of the fun and much of the of the action centers around the Masquerade Cosplay contest. Cosplay, i.e., "costume play", is an activity in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea from a work of fiction. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered on role play. Favorite sources include manga, anime, comic books, video games, and films. Inanimate objects are given anthropomorphic forms and it is not unusual to see genders switched, with women playing male roles and vice versa. There is also a subset of cosplay culture centered on sex appeal, with Cosplayers specifically choosing characters that are known for their attractiveness and/or revealing costumes. Cosplay goes far beyond simply dressing up for Halloween or Mardi, because in Cosplay, the participants are seeking to bring to life a fantasy character as opposed to simply dressing up to enjoy holiday festivities. As such, Cosplayers go to great lengths adopting the mannerisms and body language of the characters they portray. Also, most Cosplayers create their own outfits and give much time and attention to detail of the character and in most cases, the Cosplayer’s skill can be determined by how difficult the details of the outfit are and how well they have been replicated. Indeed, the Anime Expo always brings some of the best Cosplayers around!

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